Principal's Message

While you are on vacation, our campus here at SJND is humming with activity.

The Smart Classrooms renovation project is in full swing, and 10 classrooms on the Quad plus Notre Dame Hall are being remade into a 21st century campus for our students.

We’re excited to show you the Smart Classrooms and the improvements to Notre Dame Hall. Parents are invited to tour the new Smart Classrooms at the Parent Welcome BBQ on the Quad on Aug. 28, 5 to 7 p.m. Join us!

In the meantime, there’s a lot of smart fun in the summertime on SJND's campus, which has been filled with middle school students, who arrived at our high school for science camp, English camp, volleyball and basketball.

This is the first summer SJND has hosted invitational science and English camps, and they were a big success, drawing students from dozens of grade schools. I reached out to principals of our partner elementary schools and invited them to send two students to each camp, with the hope of giving these middle school students an opportunity to stretch themselves and have fun academically. The invitational camps were free.

We had students from schools throughout the East Bay. The students spent time in the dissection lab and learning crime scene investigation techniques at science camp, while the English camp students enjoyed creative writing and exploring literature.

We also had girls’ and boys’ volleyball camps fill up Kelly Gymnasium, and Coach Don Lippi reached capacity with his popular co-ed basketball camp last week. His varsity basketball players helped out, and two players, Dominic Lippi and Brendan Keane, both seniors, gave a short talk to campers on how to pursue sports at the college level.

All in all, a productive, fun summer at SJND. I hope you and your families are enjoying a wonderful summer, too.

Smart Classrooms are on Schedule

The Smart Classrooms project is underway to modernize the classrooms surrounding the Quad and to refurbish Notre Dame Hall, making it a true 21st century college prep environment for our students.

We are honored that Bishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone of the Oakland Diocese will bless the new classrooms after leading the first liturgy Mass of the school year on Aug. 26.

New windows, sheetrock, paint and carpeting are being installed, and the classrooms are being rewired to make them completely interactive for our teachers and students. The classrooms were taken down to the studs and rebuilt completely. Notre Dame Hall, seen here, is being reconstructed into a more welcoming gathering space.

Construction is on schedule and is expected to be done by Aug. 23, the day classes begin.

“Things are shaping up to look very good,” said Andrew Reed, the school’s master plan coordinator.

In honor of the lasting contribution of the Sisters of Notre Dame and the alumnae of Notre Dame Academy, which was founded on our school’s grounds in 1881, the SJND administration is planning to name the updated section of the school “Notre Dame Campus.”

As part of the celebration of Notre Dame, the school is planning to mount a plaque at the stone wall outside of SJND’s main office. The wall is a century old and was traditionally a gathering place for the girls who attended Notre Dame. As then, today’s students gather at the wall to meet friends.

We are excited about this $2 million improvement program that will make our classrooms the best learning environment for our students. The money, raised through the Smart Classrooms Capital Campaign, was given by private donors, foundations and corporations. A second phase of the Smart Classrooms Campaign will bring renovations to the remaining classrooms in Marianist Hall next summer, and it is being funded by the remaining $2 million being raised in the campaign.



SJND Pep Band Featured in Fourth of July Parade

Our school's Pep Band had a lot of fun entertaining the crowd at the Alameda Fourth of July Parade. They played on the back of a flat-bed truck as they paraded through town in the second longest Fourth of July parade in the nation.

Before the parade, Principal Simon Chiu ran in the 5K Alameda Mayor's July 4th Parade Race, a charity event to benefit the Alameda Midway Shelter for abused children and women. Several members of the SJND cross country team also participated in the race.




Math Program at SJND Expands and Offers More Advanced Classes

The math program at SJND is growing and there has been a shift toward offering additional higher math classes, including the most advanced high school math class available – AP Calculus BC –in the coming school year, as well as an engineering class that is an approved college prep level math elective.

Students are performing better in more challenging math classes, and the school has dropped many of the basic math classes, like pre-algebra, said Gail Rodrigues, chair of the Math Department.

“We are raising the bar, and they are responding,” said Rodrigues. She credits the work of the school administration and the members of the Math Department: Christina Cory, Jessica Kim, Didi Kubicek and Sean Rhatigan.

SJND retooled the math program so that the school can now offer pre-calculus, honors pre-calculus and AP Calculus AB. In the coming school year, SJND will offer AP Calculus BC to a select group of juniors and seniors who have reached the highest level of high school math, according to Assistant Principal Catherine Cook.

The course will be offered through the online resources of the University of California, and SJND teacher Ed Chen will teach the class. The class, unike other AP classes, qualifies as twice the college credit, once the student passes the AP test at the end of the year.

“We’re delighted to be able to offer the highest levels of math, so that our students can take advantage of opportunities at our school that will prepare them well for college,” said Cook.

This summer, freshman and sophomore students are taking summer courses on SJND’s campus in Honors Geometry and Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry so that they can advance in math and take AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC before they graduate.

And next spring, SJND is launching its first engineering class, “Foundations of Engineering.” The class, which is approved as a college prep level math class by the University of California, will be further opportunity for students to integrate science and math knowledge.

To support our top mathematics students at SJND, a newly endowed scholarship for math students, the Denise Cervelli Maddix ’80 Mathematics Scholarship, has generously been created.

This scholarship is awarded to the junior student with the highest grades in advanced math courses. The scholarship was formally endowed March 25 by Daniel Maddix, husband of the late Denise Cervelli Maddix ‘80, and Joe Cervelli Jr. ’82, her brother. She passed away from leukemia in June 2008.

Endowing the scholarship means that it is open for contributions from others who would like to support this memorial to Denise Cervelli Maddix ’80.

"She not only loved to study math, but she loved to teach and tutor it as well,” said Joe Cervelli Jr.

Denise Cervelli Maddix was a brilliant mathematician who did ground-breaking work on computer models for the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center. The models are now in widespread use around the world.

Danielle Maddix ’08, the daughter of Denise and Daniel Maddix, followed her mother’s exceptional example, and today she is attending UC Berkeley and intends to major in applied mathematics.

For information about the Denise Cervelli Maddix ’80 Math Scholarship, contact Rebecca Bischoff, assistant principal of Institutional Advancement at SJND, at 510-995-9454.

Honey Attends History Workshop in D.C.

Meg Honey, chair of the school’s Social Studies Department, applied for and was accepted to a Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History workshop being held at Georgetown University.

The seminar, “The Sixties in Historical Perspective,” will explore a controversial era in U.S. history that has been shrouded in myths and memories. Among the topics it will examine are the presidencies of John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.

IIn addition, Honey, shown here at right, will be able to research and study, in depth,  the civil rights movement, Vietnam War, the New Left and the counterculture. Over Spring Break, Honey took a group of students on a trip to study the landmarks of the civil rights movement of the South.

The seminar, which is being taught by Michael Kazin, Professor of History, Georgetown University and Michael Flamm, Professor of History, Ohio Wesleyan University, will also look at the women's movement, the gay movement, the conservative movement and the international dimension of youth protest of the 1960s.

The aim of the seminar is to provide a balanced history of a turbulent time that continues to influence American politics, society and culture.

Pilots Summer Basketball in Full Swing

The men’s varsity basketball team at SJND is working hard this summer, getting together for a “breakfast club” that meets for early morning workouts and playing in a summer league that pits them against other high schools in the Bay Area.

Alumni players are also coming back to campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 7 to 9 p.m., when the team hosts an open gym. “We’ve had an alumni turnout for this, and we would like to see it grow,” said Coach Don Lippi.

The Pilots, second in the Bay Shore Athletic League last season and a contender in the NorCal playoffs, had an impressive start to the summer league, with a 6-1 record and beating De La Salle in a match up.

“The boys work on advanced skills at a very intense pace and end the workout with extensive weight training,” said Lippi. “I have been very impressed with the turnout and especially with the concentration given by our varsity players.”

Three of the seniors are traveling extensively this summer, visiting college camps and national basketball showcases. Dominic Lippi, Coach Lippi’s son, is attending academic basketball camp at UC San Diego. Brendan Keane is attending camp at the University of Portland, as well as national tournaments in Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, along with Jacari Whitfield. Keane also is attending a college showcase camp near Philadelphia.

Go Pilots!



Coach Pondok Named Assistant Athletic Director

Chris Pondok, a physical education teacher and former Freshman Boys Basketball Coach at SJND, has been named Assistant Athletic Director, and he will work with our current Athletic Director, Dan Curry, to lead the Athletic Department.

Coach Pondok also was named the JV Boys Basketball coach.

Additionally, Jean Kuznik, assistant principal of student life, will work more closely with the Athletic Department in the coming year, especially at the strategic planning level.

As Assistant Athletic Director, Coach Pondok is responsible for: revising and updating the coaches’ and student-athlete handbook, serving as Booster Club liaison, working on parent volunteer recruitment and management and coordinating publicity efforts for the Athletic Department.

Mr. Curry, in his role as the Athletic Director, will continue to be responsible for the major operational aspects of leading and administering the Athletic Department.

Coach Pondok moves to the JV Boys Basketball team, to replace Coach Jon Musson ’99, who is becoming an Assistant Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach, along with Assistant Coach Eddie McBride, working with Coach Don Lippi.

Musson replaces former Assistant Coach Joe Skiffer, who played for Coach Lippi at St. Ignatius Prep from 1997-99. Skiffer was named Associate Athletic Director and Men’s Varsity Basketball Coach at the Urban School in San Francisco.

Important Requirements for PE and Sports Teams

All students enrolled in a Physical Education class or interested in participating in iinterscholastic sports during the 2010-2011 school year MUST have a physical examination form dated after July 1, 2010 on file in the school office prior to the start of school n order to participate in PE classes or try out for interscholastic sports.

Students without a physical form on file will not be allowed to participate. California State Law requires that all high school students participating in Physical Education class or participating in interscholastic sports have a new physical examination each year.

If your family is enrolled in a Kaiser Health plan, please note that Kaiser only gives physical examination ever two years. However, you are required to have a signed physical release form from Kaiser ever year you participate in PE or Athletics. You may contact your doctor at Kaiser and request that they furnish you with this documentation.

Students intending to participate in interscholastic sports during the 2010-2011 school year are required to fill out a sports packet and return it to Mr. Curry, the Athletic Director, prior to trying out for a sport. Students will not be allowed to participate without having a sports packet on file. Sports packets will be available in the athletic office or may be downloaded from the SJND website after August 1, 2010.

Any student transferring from another high school to SJND for the 2010-2011 school year and who is interested in participating in interscholastic sports must meet with Mr. Curry prior to the beginning of school to discuss transfer eligibility. All transfer students are required to fill out the North Coast Section Athletic Transfer Eligibility Application, forms 206 and 510.

Fall Sports Information

Monday, August 16, is the first allowable date for the fall sports teams to practice. Tryouts are open to all students interested in participating, and you may contact coaches for more information. Here is the fall sports practice schedule:

Women's Tennis, Harbor Bay Tennis Club, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., M-F, Coach Lillian Santos
Women's Golf, Chuck Corica Golf Complex, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., M-Th, Coach Vic Quintell
Cross Country, SJND, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., M-F, Coach Tony Fong
Women's Varsity Volleyball, SJND, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., M-F, Coach Ed Chen
Women's JV Volleyball, SJND, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., M-F, Coach Noel Lingad
Crew, Contact Oakland Strokes for more information.

Costa Rica Trip Planned for Spring Break 2011

Students are invited to join Kristina Stone, chair of the SJND Science Department, on a trip to Costa Rica over spring break that will include visiting a volcano and experiencing a jungle canopy tour by zip line.

The tour, April 14 to 23, gives our students the opportunity to explore the ecological systems of the Central American country, renowned for its natural resources. The trip will be operated by Education First Educational Tours.

The cost of the trip, including all taxes, transportation (including airfare to and from San Francisco and all travel while in Costa Rica), lodging, food (three meals a day), bilingual guides, activities and entrance fees is $2,107. Students will be participating in fundraising to help cover the cost of the trip, and families can set up a payment plan now to help pay for the cost.

At least one other faculty member will join the group, and the ratio of faculty to students will be 1 to 6. Passports are necessary, and the trip can be rugged.

For more information, visit EF Tours. You will need the tour number: 430210. Ms. Stone is the registered tour leader. Or call EF Tours at 1-800-665-5364.


Women's Alumni Volleyball Game

The annual Women’s Alumni Volleyball game is Thursday, September 2 at 6 p.m. All alumni volleyball players interested in playing should contact Coach Ed Chen for further details. There will be a potluck dinner after the games in the gym.